Blog

Funky Mold: How to Prevent It In Your Washing Machine

Posted: Monday October 26th, 2015 by Cecily Van Horn

There’s nothing worse than opening up your front-loading laundry machine and being greeted with a big wiff of a funky mold odor. It makes the dreaded task of doing the laundry that much more unpleasant, right?

First let’s look at what causes the problem exactly? Well, it’s due to mold growth when water collects in the rubber gasket on the door of a front-loading washing machine. Gross, I know.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to avoid having this funky mold odor problem in you machine:

1) Keep the door slightly open between washes. This will allow for better airflow and moisture left in the machine will be able to evaporate.

2) Run an empty load every so often. It’s important to use the highest heat setting and to NOT add any clothes in the load. I also suggest adding a cup of chlorine bleach to kill any hidden mold spores that may be lingering about your machine.

3) Use the right detergent. It’s very important to make sure that you’re using the right soap for your machine. The best is to use HE detergents. But I bet you’re wondering…How is this related to funky mold odors? Well, if you use the wrong type of detergent you may be making your machine work harder and therefore it may end up consuming more water. Click here to see some of the best odor eliminator laundry detergent.

4) Dry any excess water on the rubber rim of the machine. By doing this you’ll help to both clean your machine and protect it from any funky molds that may decide to grow between your washes. I personally keep a small face cloth beside my machine and do a quick wipe-down every time I finish a load of laundry and every 2 weeks or so I simply throw it in with my other towels and get a new one.

If you’ve got any other tips or tricks to avoiding that funky mold odor in your front-loading washing machine…I’d love to hear them, comment below.

Founded in Mont Royal, Quebec in 2011, AxxonLab Inc. is an environmental testing laboratory for regulated substances that specializes in the characterization and quantification of asbestos and mold in the air and in bulk samples.